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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · season · content · rule · roll · bear · fall · pit

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pit — in a race
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — happy
  10. race — humankind
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — a contest
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rule — government
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — a law
  20. roll — a list
  21. season — of the year
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — the amount
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com